Ann Coulter Defends Mitt Romney's Massachusetts Health Care Law

Ann Coulter offered a surprising defense of Mitt Romney's Massachusetts health care law -- affectionately dubbed 'Romneycare' -- on Wednesday.

In a blog post featured on her website, entitled "Three Cheers For Romneycare!", she explains, "If only the Democrats had decided to socialize the food industry or housing, Romneycare would probably still be viewed as a massive triumph for conservative free-market principles -- as it was at the time."

Coulter is a vocal supporter of Romney's 2012 run. The presidential candidate has backed away from the law he spearheaded as governor of Massachusetts in an effort to distance himself from the GOP-detested health care legislation that President Obama signed into law in 2010. Critics of Romney have linked the two laws in an effort to paint him as a moderate.

In her post, Coulter lays out what she sees as a basic distinction between the Massachusetts law and the federal law. "One difference between the health care bills is that Romneycare is constitutional and Obamacare is not," writes Coulter.

Jonathan Gruber, one of the economists Romney hired to help craft the Massachusetts health care law, recently told Capital New York that the two laws are "the same f***ing bill."

Philip Klein of the Washington Examiner slammed Coulter's comments as "shameful" and accused her of "defend[ing] big government social welfare policy as conservative and treat[ing] conservatives like they're too dumb to understand the difference."

Also on HuffPost:

Some of Ann Coulter's controversial statements.

• "You're Not Black"

  Coulter told a gathering of gay conservatives, marriage "is not a civil right -- you're not black."

• Occupy Wall Street and Nazis

  Coulter made an analogy between the Occupy Wall Street movement and Nazis in October. She said that some of the phrases used by protesters could have been said "before the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, and with only slight modification when the Nazis were coming to power..."

• "Radiation Is Good For You"

  In May, Coulter appeared on Bill O'Reilly's show to argue that "radiation is good for you." She was responding to concerns about radiation in Japan post-earthquake, and told a skeptical O'Reilly that levels of radiation higher than the cut-offs set by the government could actually reduce the risk of cancer.

• Coulter on John Edwards

  In 2007, Coulter called John Edwards a "faggot."

• Obama's Cocaine Dealer

  Earlier this year, Coulter asked someone to put out an ad looking for President Obama's cocaine dealer.

• Ann Coulter v. Princess Diana

  Coulter let loose on the late Princess Diana of all people, calling her an "anorexic, bulimic narcissist." Prior to that, she had called Princess Diana a "nitwit hussy."

• Cenk Uygur A "Retarded Person"

  Coulter once called Cenk Uygur, then on MSNBC, "retarded."

• Ann Coulter v. journalists

  In May, Ann Coulter told the crowd at an annual CPAC conference that "there should be more jailed journalists."

• Ann Coulter v. Muslims

  Post 9/11, Coulter had this to say about Muslims: ''We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.''

• Ann Coulter v. New York Times

  In a 2002 interview with The New York Observer, Coulter said she wished that the Oklahoma City bomber had targeted the New York Times. She said, "My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times building." Later, she said, "I should have added, 'after everyone had left the building except the editors and reporters.'"

Comments

[frankjay]

11:20 AM on 03/04/2012

The usual fake conservative hypocrite.

[Doug504]

03:46 AM on 03/04/2012

Coulter's comments illustrate how extreme the conservative movement has become over the last six years. She is correct that Romney was praised in 2006 by conservatives for getting a number of free-market/conservative included in the law. One of those conservative ideas was allowing individuals to decide whether to buy health insurance or not. Either decision resulted in a certain cost but the individual (not the government) would make the final decision.

Today conservatives rant that such an idea is radical government interference. They want to go without insurance at the same time they want the government (or other people) to pay for their care if they are injured. That isn't a conservative principle - that's just stupid.

Remember only four years passed between the time when conservatives praised Romneycare for including conservative ideas and when conservatives denounced Obamacare as a government takeover.

The extreme Conservatives who are manipulating the Republicans are not objecting on principle. They have a visceral dislike of Obama and oppose anything he does. They are painting themselves into a corner and becoming more hysterical and convoluted in their thinking because they can't convince others.

It is really scary when Ann Coulter becomes the sensible voice of conservatives.

[Neanderthaal]

11:43 PM on 03/01/2012

Did she fall on her purdy little head? First she goes ga-ga (NPI) over Big Chris Christie, who as a Joizey Republican would be a Democrat in most normal states.

Then she's donned her cheerleader outfit for one more Taxxachusetts Big Bruvver program.

Ann! Stop listening to the voices!

[traders]

10:00 AM on 02/12/2012

Ann Coulter does not live in reality. She writes fiction books that are bought by people who don't know the difference between reality and Coulter-ville. What would make Romneycare constitutional and Obamacare unconstitutional? Thats ridiculous. The are the same thing. There is no difference except that Romney was only running 1 state and Obama was elected by the whole country. The only difference between Romney and Obama is a bunch of political word-juggling and rhetoric. Republicans think Romney can do for the country what he did for his company but there is a huge difference. What he did personally would not be considered moral or ethical politically. People think you can do anything to win in business. Everyone knows big busines is void of morals or ethics but politics is out in the open and those unethical business practices would not stand up to "religious morality."

[wayneoscarbry]

12:01 AM on 02/11/2012

Go Ann!!!! You are so beautiful. I reallly hope Romney wins this one. He has shown alot of class throughout this fierce campaign season. Everyone....Vote for Romney!!!

[Phoenix110]

02:52 PM on 02/10/2012

Based on reading the comments, and especially noticing how they de-evolve into the usual liberal classless insults, I have concluded that THIS is where the filth of America congregates.

[Larry Ricketts]

04:38 PM on 02/03/2012

Say what you want about Ann, but she is still the best looking man on Fox.

[Willie Qwit]

07:51 AM on 03/04/2012

Really tough shot, but funny as heck.

[phal4875]

02:45 PM on 02/03/2012

There must be reasons why people ask for Ann Coulter's opinions. It is harder for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to figure out the reasons.

[Andy noface]

02:17 PM on 02/03/2012

She needs to stick to just brown-nosing Hannity... he always enjoys her "oral presentation" skills :-D

[Craig Koebelin]

01:56 PM on 02/03/2012

RomneyCare is more liberal than ObamaCare, it has a public option.

They castigate Obama, but they're gving the nomination to a guy to his left.

The Romney campaign is a marketing strategy, it is not what he really thinks!

Thank you Republicans for backing a liberal, now the election is a win-win.

[Drew2U]

01:37 PM on 02/03/2012

This chick is losing all credibility. So Romneycare is good, but Obamacare (the same basic program) is not? Why, Ann? Because one is a Republican and the other a Democrat?

[phal4875]

02:46 PM on 02/03/2012

Coulter is suffering from early-onset confusion.

[Drew2U]

05:49 PM on 02/03/2012

more like delusion.

[Neanderthaal]

11:45 PM on 03/01/2012

Har!

[Neanderthaal]

11:45 PM on 03/01/2012

Haha. I think you're onto something.

[JustLeftOfRight]

01:00 PM on 02/03/2012

Wait, Ann was against Mitt just a few months ago, claiming his nomination would cause the GOP to lose and now she's for him ?? Coulter's a flip-flopper?

Either way they're gonna lose and they know it now. Beautiful!

[Djay0252]

12:19 PM on 02/03/2012

Seems like somebody is peeing on her Cheerios every day.

[phal4875]

02:47 PM on 02/03/2012

Fanned, Djay0252. You will have me chuckling all day. I like to chuckle.

[Djay0252]

03:23 PM on 02/03/2012

Glad I was able to bring some chuckles to your day...it's good medicine...cheap...and no side affects

[MYSTERIOUS]

10:21 AM on 02/03/2012

She's more unattractive than I thought. Compare this picture with Michelle Bachman's on the Newsweek cover a few weeks. Pretty scary.

[Willie Qwit]

07:52 AM on 03/04/2012

Ann is getting older and starving herself to boot. The years are taking their toll. Plus, all that hatred inside of her can't be doing her any good.

[janedorothy4]

10:05 AM on 02/03/2012

Obamascare takes over our economy and our lives. Obamascare passed because people were bribed and those that were not bribed didnt read it.To say that Obamascare which takes over our entire failing country under Obama is anything like what goes on in one state which agreed with the decision for their own state is ridiculous.

[Drew2U]

01:40 PM on 02/03/2012

The only thing ridiculous is your post. Did you read AHA? I did--cover to cover. You've been lied to if you think this is taking over YOUR life. Do you have healthcare? Then AHA doesnt concern anything about your own healthcare. Your rates went up? Take it up with your private carrier. 40 million people who had to wait until their circumstance was so dire they'd have to go to an emergency room are happy to have some kind of coverage.

[JACK DOYLE]

07:37 PM on 02/03/2012

Jane,what the hell are you talking about? Try reading the publication put out by AARP (try Google) who favors it and they have brains and education ,doctors and they care for
millions of people who need medical care.
Were you a button clerk?